Both words mean "to caress" or "to fondle" according to the dictionaries. Is it really so? Are the exactly the same thing? If not, in what way does adding that "a" change the meaning? My question also ...

I was taught that está is used in certain contexts meaning a temporary state (like emotion). Isn't "today" always temporary in that it is constantly changing to the next day? If so, why don't we use ...

I always struggle with the correct usage of the various ways one could say the equivalent of I'm sorry or Excuse me. Of course there are many reasons I would say these things and I was often looking ...

I'm trying to tell someone that I've learned a lot from a set of videos and books: "Thanks a lot for your excellent books and videos. I have learned a lot from them." and so my attempted translation ...

I hear a lot of different ways to express the idea of wanting something or wanting to do something. What is the difference between them?
Yo quiero (algo o hacer algo o que pase algo)
Me gustaría ...
...

English speakers learning Spanish have a hard time understanding the similarities and differences between ya, todavía, and aún (or aun). They don't perfectly match up with the similar English words ...

It recently occurred to me that the Spanish nuez can be translated to English as both "walnut" and "pecan." Is the same word really used for both types of nuts? How would you specify which nut you're ...

I am a native Portuguese speaker, where noiva means "bride" or "fiancée." So I was very confused when someone asked me if a girl was my novia, since she didn't have an engagement ring (thank goodness ...

In English, when talking about common viruses people often get, there are generally two categories:
a cold is generally more mild and can come with runny nose, sneezing, coughing, sore throat, etc.
...

If somebody said: "Me gusta él, pero no su grupo de amigos" (I like him, but not his group of friends), could it be heard as: "Me gusta el perro, no su grupo de amigos" (I like the dog, not his group ...

I don't really speak Spanish, but I do know a few words and phrases here and there, and enjoy furthering what little knowledge I have. So, today I saw, in a Swedish newspaper, a reference to plantains ...